Sandals



Feb. 25, 1964 P, GULLO 3,121,962

SANDALS v Filed Jan. 1e, 1965 Z4 Z/ 5a 5,

' INVENTOR 6 ///M/ ,4 fana TTOR/VEYS United States Patent O 3,121,962SANDALS Philip A. Grillo, 170 Edgewater Park, Bronx 65, N.Y. Filed 1an.16, 1963, Ser. No. 251,970 3 Claims. (Cl. 36-11.5)

This invention is concerned generally with the -sandal art; morespecifically it relates to a rigid sandal with a hinged sole portion.

Sandals such as for use at the beach and for bathing may consist of asingle rigid block of wood with straps thereon to retain the sandal atthe base of the feet of the wearer. Such sandals, although desirable foruse such as at the beach and for bathing purposes, are generallyuncomfortable in that it will not bend with the bone structure of thefoot. Thus, the use of such a sandal for a length of time will tire thewearer and result in the discarding of the sandal. Additionally, it mayprove injurious to the bone structure.

j It is a cardinal object of this invention, therefore, to provide asandal fabricated of rigid material that will conform to a limiteddegree to the foot of the wearer.

Another primary object hereof is the provision of a sandal having strapsof a type which will conveniently and comfortably retain the sandal onthe foot of the wearer without the possibility of irritation.

A further purpose of this invention is the provision of a hinged sandalstructure that will not be injured by use in the water.

With these objects in view, the invention consists of the novel featuresof construction and arrangement of parts which Will appear in thefollowing specification and recited in the appended claims, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings in which the same referencenumerals indicate the same parts throughout the various figures and inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the invention with a foot illustratedthereon in phantom.

FIG. 2 is a top plan View of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view taken substantially along line3-3 of FIG. 2 showing the hinged structure.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the instant invention with the heelportion thereof illustrated in one position in solid and in anotherposition in phantom.

FIG. 5 is a sectional elevational view taken along line 55 of FIG. 2 ofthe invention showing the method of attachment of the sandal strap.

FIG. 6 is a fractional sectional View taken substantially along line 6-6of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate what may be for somepurposes a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is shown in FIG.1 a complete embodiment of the invention, with the foot of a wearershown thereon in phantom.

The base of the sandal, which will generally be fabricated of wood, willbe manufactured in two pieces 11 and 12. As shown, when fastenedtogether, they will form a continuous base for the sandal. The forwardmember 11 will conform generally to the toe portion of the foot and therear member 12 will conform to the heel portion thereof.

For ease of relative movement, the forward and rear members 11 and 12Will be hinged together as illustrated.

The adjoining portions of the forward member 11 and the rear member 12will have mating grooves and projections. Thus, the forward member 11will have projections 14, 15 and 16 and the rear member 12 will haveprojections 18 and 19. The said projections 14, 15, 16, 18 and 19 willbe relatively uniform and will be formed with a smooth curve. Theprojections 14, 15 and 16 of the forward member 11 will be adapted totit loosely with- 3,121,962 Patented Feb. 25, 1964 ICC in the groovesformed by projections 18 and 19. Similarly, the projections 18 and 19will be shaped to fit loosely within the grooves formed by projections14, 15 and 16. This will be seen most clearly in FIG. 2.

As seen most clearly in FIG. 3, lateral opening 2t) will be positionedto pass centrally through the sandal in the area of the above-describedhinge when the parts are in their assembled relationship. The lateralopening 20 will be of sufficient size to receive a relatively strongexible cord 21 with knots 22 and 23 at either end.

Thus, it will be seen that a relatively inexpensive but efficient hingestructure is provided between the forward and rear members 11 and 12.The parts will move eiliciently and conveniently relative to each otherand yet may be disassembled by untying either of the knots 22 or 23 whendesired. This may be important, especially if sand, dirt, or the likeshould inadvertently become trapped within the hinge member.

It will be noted that the sandal attaching means to be described belowserves a dual function. For one thing, it serves to attach the sandal onthe foot of the wearer in a comfortable manner. However, this uniqueattachment means further serves to retain the forward and rear membersof the sandal in an operative position when not installed on the foot ofthe wearer.

As seen best in FIG. 5, the forward portion of the strap will beattached by means of a knot 30 within a recess 31 at the underside ofthe forward member 11. The two strands of the said strap 34 will passupwardly through a relatively small opening 32 in the forward member 11.As will be seen in FIG. l, the said opening 32 Will be properlypositioned to position the strap 32 adjacent the toe of the foot of thewearer thus insuring that the forward portion of the foot is positionedproperly.

The forward strap 34 may be secured as by the single knot 35 to thedouble strands 36 and 37 of the side straps. The said side straps 36 and37 will position the side of the foot of the fearer and will passthrough angled slots 40 in the side of the rear member 12.- This will beseen most clearly in FIG. 6. The ends of the side straps 36 and 37 willbe knotted as at 41 and 42 to insure that they will securely remain inposition. Positioned adjacent the knotted ends 41 and 42 of the sidestraps 36 and 3'7 will be the knotted ends 46 and 457 of the rear straps43 and 49. The said rear straps 4S and 49 will be angled through theside portions of the rear member 12 in a manner similar to the sidestraps 36 and 37. They will then be urged rearward and upward to beencircled about the angle of the wearer when in use, as shown in FIG. l.

This unique combination on straps will insure that the sandal isretained positively and comfortably on the foot of the wearer when inuse.

Additionally, the forward and side straps will insure that the forwardand rear members 11 and 12 will not bend at an acute angle when not inuse, thereby injuring the hinged portions thereof.

Additionally, it is important to observe that all of the strapsdescribed in this embodiment of the invention are held in place merelyby knots. They may, therefore, be removed for replacement, cleaning, oradjustment.

It will be seen then that there is provided herein a device toaccomplish all of the objects hereinabove set forth.

While there are above disclosed but a limited number of embodiments ofthe structure and product of the invention herein presented, it ispossible to produce still other embodiments without departing from theinventive concept herein disclosed and it is desired, therefore, thatonly such limitations be imposed on the appended claims as are statedtherein, or required by the prior art.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its 3 use, what IClaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sandal, comprising, a base portion including a rigid forward memberand a rigid rear member, hinge means rotatably connecting said forwardand rear members of said base portion, said hinge means including aplurality of rear projections extending longitudinally rearward fromsaid forward member, said rear projections being adapted to fit invertically closely spaced relationship between said first projections,said base portion being laterally apertured through said front and rearprojections, and a rst flexible cord extending through said front andrear projections only through said lateral aperture and being knottedand terminated at opposite lateral sides of said base portion injuxtaposition to said projections whereby said projections will beretained in mating engagement, and cord means Lo retain said forward andrear members on a foot, said cord means interconnecting said forwardmember and said rear member.

2. A sandal as set forth in claim 1, wherein said forward member has onecentral vertical aperture, said vertical aperture terminating in anenlarged cutout at said underside of said forward member, said rearmember having a pair of angled apertures at opposite lateral sides ofsaid rear member, each of said angled apertures commencing at said topside of said rear member and terminating at an edge of said rear member,said cord means consisting of a front cord extending through saidvertical aperture and having a knot at one end in said enlarged cutoutin said forward member, said other end of said front cord being knottedto one end of a pair of side cords, each of said side cords passingthrough one of said angled apertures and terminating in a knot in juxtaposition to said edge of said rear member.

3. A sandal as set forth in claim 2, further including additional strapmeans extending from opposite sides of said rear member to encircle theankle of a foot.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,177,571 Kirke Oct. 24, 1939 2,340,027 Story Ian, 25, 1944 2,435,668Behringer et al Feb. 10, 1948 2,517,472 Fathauer Aug. l, 1950 2,711,033Dick June 21, 1955

1. A SANDAL, COMPRISING, A BASE PORTION INCLUDING A RIGID FORWARD MEMBERAND A RIGID REAR MEMBER, HINGE MEANS ROTATABLY CONNECTING SAID FORWARDAND REAR MEMBERS OF SAID BASE PORTION, SAID HINGE MEANS INCLUDING APLURALITY OF REAR PROJECTIONS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY REARWARD FROMSAID FORWARD MEMBER, SAID REAR PROJECTIONS BEING ADAPTED TO FIT INVERTICALLY CLOSELY SPACED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SAID FIRST PROJECTIONS,SAID BASE PORTION BEING LATERALLY APERTURED THROUGH SAID FRONT AND REARPROJECTIONS, AND A FIRST FLEXIBLE CORD EXTENDING THROUGH SAID FRONT ANDREAR PROJECTIONS ONLY THROUGH SAID LATERAL APERTURE AND BEING KNOTTEDAND TERMINATED AT OPPOSITE LATERAL SIDES OF SAID BASE PORTION INJUXTAPOSITION TO SAID PROJECTIONS WHEREBY SAID PROJECTIONS WILL BERETAINED IN MATING ENGAGEMENT, AND CORD MEANS TO RETAIN SAID FORWARD ANDREAR MEMBERS ON A FOOT, SAID CORD MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID FORWARDMEMBER AND SAID REAR MEMBER.